


Unconditionally

by tired_truffle



Series: Breath of Life [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cute, F/M, Nightmares, Past Torture, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-09-16 13:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16955196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tired_truffle/pseuds/tired_truffle
Summary: Jacklyn has known almost no kindness her entire life, she was hidden away as a child for her looks, subsequently taken by Hydra and now is on the run. Will her encounter with a young man named Steve and his friend Bucky change her life for better, or will it only serve to complicate her already complicated life?





	1. Chapter 1

Why Jacklyn chose to stay in Brooklyn she was never quite sure. It could have been the busy streets that amused her. Or the new smell of city air. It could have been that it was a crowded city and made it a great place to hide. Maybe she just wanted to stop running for a while. Stop living her life in constant motion and take a breath.  
For a year all Jacklyn did was run. Run, and run until she could no longer stand. She had to get away. The people that had kept her, tortured her would not stop looking for her. She knew that for a fact. That was why she kept going, the reason she had not stopped until she reached a different continent. She still did not feel safe, but the distance between her and Hydra was something she enjoyed immensely.  
Jacklyn always knew that she was not like the other kids her age. While she yearned to play like they did, and to do everything just the same as they did, it was apparent that those normal childhood moments would never be hers. From the moment of her birth, her parents had hidden her away in the attic. They had had a home birth, with one of their friends as the midwife, when their baby came out, purple, with a spade-tipped tail, pointy ears and bright yellow eyes, they had their friends sworn to secrecy. The friend promised to keep their secret but no longer wanted to be involved in a family that would keep such a ‘beast’ around. Her parents saw letting all their friends go as the only way to keep their daughter safe. They pretended that their child had been stillborn. They would do anything to keep their daughter safe, even if she looked odd. This was something that Jacklyn would never forget, even in her adult life, she would appreciate the lengths that her parents went to too keep her safe. It was too bad that despite all their efforts, Jacklyn would end up running for her life from Hydra.  
To further distance herself from the other children, she discovered that not only did she appear different but she had abilities that no other person known to man had. At the age of 4 she had fallen on a nail that had come out of the wooden floor in her bedroom. It had pierced right through her hand, bleeding all over. However, when her parents had pulled the nail from her hand, they discovered that the wound healed almost immediately. It looked like she had never had a cut at all. From then on when she got scrapes on her knees or cuts on her hands, they would disappear almost as quickly as they happened.  
Up in the attic, Jacklyn had plenty of toys and books, and even a radio, but nothing could replace that empty feeling she would get when she peeked out the window and saw the other neighbourhood children running down the street without a care in the world. She had to keep the windows drawn so that no one saw her, but she figured that a little peak every once in a while would not do anyone harm.  
It’s not to say that she was ungrateful of her parents, they had kept her safe and as entertained as possible, it’s just that no child is meant to be kept locked away in an attic. Her father and mother knew this, but were unsure of how to help their daughter. Her father was a military man, meaning that he was often gone. Many times it was just Jacklyn and her mother in the house. On these occasions, her mother would let her sneak down to the second floor, into her parents’ bedroom, and she would snuggle up to her mother as the two fell asleep. While she missed her father, these were some of her favourite memories.  
However, as hard as the family tried, their lives as they knew it, came to an end. It was one fateful day, the sun was shining and all the children were out to play. Jacklyn was peeking out her window, that familiar empty feeling filling her chest, feeling jealous that she too could not go out and play. She thought that maybe just today she could open the blinds a little more and let the sun hit her face. However, when one child look directly at her window, his eyes widened when he saw her, she knew that she had made a mistake. She closed the blinds as quickly as possible. Hoping that nothing would come of it if she did not mention the incident. Maybe it would all just go away.  
Around two weeks after the incident, Jacklyn had pretty much forgotten about what had happened with that little boy. She felt safe once again in her house, as though nothing could reach her. She was sorely mistaken. Around 2 in the morning Jacklyn was awoken to the muffled yelling of her parents. Her heart racing, she grabbed her favourite stuffed bunny and she slipped out of bed. She stood at the top of the stairs, trying to listen for what was happening.  
“You cannot just come into my house and assault my family!” She heard her father yell, only to hear a crack of something metal hitting what she could only assume was her father’s head. There was a thump as his body hit the floor. Jacklyn took in a sharp breath, tears welling up in her eyes. What was happening? Why were there people in the house? She had yet to connect that little boy seeing her in the window to these strange people attacking her parents.  
“No! Please don’t hurt him!” Jacklyn heard her mother cry out. Jacklyn could not stand to hear her parents in pain and rushed down the stairs. She pushed open the door to find six strong and mean looking men, two holding her mother. Her mother was in her pyjamas, tears running down her face, her hair, normally up in curlers seemed to have been knocked lose, half of the curlers had fallen out. She looked so frightened, Jacklyn hated to see her this way. Her father was also in his pyjamas, passed out on the floor, a large bruise welling up on his head. One of the men raised his hand as though he was going to hit her mother.  
“Stop!” Jacklyn yelled, clutching her bunny to her chest, tears streaming down her face. She was shaking in fear, the fear that her parents would die, the fear that she could be taken away from the only safe space she had ever known.  
The men looked at her, then at each other, an evil looking grin on their faces.  
“Grab ‘er. Throw ‘er in the truck.” One of the men demanded. Two of the men closest two her grabbed her arms, causing Jacklyn to scream. She received a swift backhand to the face, stunning her. One of them picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.  
“Please no.” Her mother sobbed “Anyone but her, take us. Just please do not take her.” The man who had demanded they grab Jacklyn looked at the men holding Jacklyn’s mother.  
“Kill them.” He said, as though he was telling the man an ordinary order, not something that would cause Jacklyn’s whole world to crash around her.  
“I love you, Jack-“ Her mother said, as the man raised a gun to her head. She was cut off by two gunshots. The noise drowning Jacklyn’s scream as she watched a man shoot both of her parents in the head. The last thing she saw was her mother’s life leave her body, before one of the man smacked her on the head and everything faded to black.  
She quickly learned that the men who took her were part of a criminal organization called Hydra. They had taken her so that they could experiment on her. They did so many experiments that they all blurred together and Jacklyn thought they would never end. The food was kept to a minimum and sleep even less so. She felt as though death would be a better option and wished for it almost every day. Unfortunately for her death was not an option. In testing her limits in healing, the Hydra scientists had found that Jacklyn could not die. Not by wound nor illness. At first she would be unconscious for hours when she should have died, then over the years of torture her body started to adapt, she would stay unconscious only for minutes or sometimes seconds when stabbed to death, shot, filled with toxins. Her body would heal itself from anything.  
They not only tested her healing abilities, but trained her physically. They put her in intense simulation activities to hone her physical strength and create her into a soldier. The training was gruelling, and as much as Jacklyn tried to fight against it, the pain of failing the simulations was just too much to bear. After months of fighting her training, she realized that if she could gain strength and speed, she could potentially use those abilities to get herself out of the Hydra Facility.  
For eight years Jacklyn was put through immense pain. She would shake ever night and hope for someone to come save her. She believed that there was a way out, somewhere nicer outside the bleak, grey walls of the facility. Her hoping came to an end when she was fourteen and had finally figured out a plan to escape.  
Hydra had tested a bracelet out, one that covered her entire body and made it look like that of a regular thirteen year old girl. Jacklyn would look in the mirror while wearing the bracelet and see herself, only with her blonde hair being in less contrast to her pale skin, her ears soft and round. However it was not perfect, she had to keep her tail hidden in her pants or it was very obvious; Hydra had plans to use Jacklyn for covert missions, and there was no way she was going to get very far looking as she did. However, this gave Jacklyn the means to escape and get far away from Hydra.  
Jacklyn had memorized the guards schedule, knowing when they rotated and who would be on shift. Some of the guards were a little more relaxed and were not quite as vigilante as the others. These guards would be the key to her escape. Over the last few months Jacklyn had secretly grabbed two thin pieces of metal to use as a lock pick. Luckily for her, in her training they had taught her many useful skills, including lock picking, which she was now adept at.  
When the guards rotated, it would leave a 1 minute window where a guard was not in place to see Jacklyn’s cell. She would have to move quickly, being caught trying to escape would lead to the most severe of punishments. Jacklyn very cautiously slipped her arm between the bars of her cell, using the metal to pick the lock. She heard the clicks of the lock opening under her skillful hand, and the door creaked open. She did not waste any time in rushing out of her cell, and running down the nearest hallway.  
Jacklyn knew exactly where she needed to go to get the concealing bracelet, unfortunately for her she was not allowed to keep it on and it was kept in a locked laboratory. The room that contained the bracelet was not far from where Jenny's cell was. The compound itself was relatively small. Jacklyn snuck quietly down the halls, ducking quickly behind corners and around bins whenever she saw anyone. After several agonizing minutes she reached the lab with the bracelet inside. She tried the door handle. It was locked. Jacklyn took out her lock picking metal stick and tried to pick the lock. This one was more difficult than her cell, but after several moments she got the door to unlock. Jacklyn stepped in, closed the door behind her and turned on the lights.  
The room was large and blindingly white. There were many drawers filled with devices that Jacklyn knew nothing about. The books that Jacklyn used to read in her parents basement said nothing on what were inside labs. In the middle of the room was a big metal table, used to strap her down for experiments. Jacklyn shivered and looked away. She couldn't see the bracelet from where she was standing and decided to look around. She had to have that bracelet, she had to be able to conceal herself from Hydra. She had to get away.  
She travelled to the back of the room, breath increasing in her adrenaline rush. She found the silver bracelet on a covered stand far away from the door. It was kept on a small stand, no casing. Hydra did not seem to expect that anyone would try to take it. They were wrong. Jacklyn grabbed the bracelet, put it on, feeling her form flicker into that of a regular girl, and then she ran.Just as she thought she was going to get out an alarm went off. They must have discovered that she wasn't in her cell. Jacklyn took off as fast as her feet could carry her, Bounding down corridors and going through any door that had an exit sign. She was getting out, she could feel it. She had been running for a couple of minutes when finally, finally she burst through an exit door leading to the outside.  
Jacklyn had to shield her eyes as the sun beat down at her. She had not seen the sun since she was a little girl in her parents attic. The fresh air was like heaven too her lungs. She wanted to stand there and take in everything she had missed so dearly, but she could not, she had to go before Hydra caught her.  
When Jacklyn's eyes finally adjusted she saw where she was. The Hydra compound was surrounded by a thick, green, forest. It was full of lush plants that seemed to shin in the mid-day sun. The forest was thick blocking out the light, making for good cover. The compound itself was a big, flat-topped brick building with smoke chimneys sticking out the top, spewing all sorts of horrible things into the atmosphere. It was ugly and filled with awful memories. Jacklyn was going to get as far away from it as possible.  
Jacklyn ran. She did not stop until her feet ached and her eyelids were heavy. She could finally sleep. In a hole in the ground, in the middle of a big forest, finally free from those trying to hurt her. Though she knew she was not done running yet

***  
"Should we send out the dogs, sir?" A man's voice asked in German. It came through a speaker in the wall of the control room.  
"No." An old balding man said, eyes on a screen attached to the wall. "I want to see what our little she-devil can do. She thinks she has gotten away. Consider it an extended experiment."  
"Yes, Sir." The first man said.  
"Make sure the tracking chip in her and the bracelet are monitored at all times. I want nothing she does to go unseen.  
"Yes, Sir." He said again and the speaker turned off. The old man stood close to the screen, a cruel smile twisted on his face.  
"You can run, but you can't hide." He said to the moving picture of the girl running on the screen. "Hydra will always find you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacklyn meets Steve

Chapter 2

Jacklyn had been in Brooklyn all of four months. She had first arrived in July, it had been beautifully warm, and people had been friendly, in a good mood from the gorgeous weather. Now as the weather grew cool, people tended to bustle past her, purposefully looking in the other direction as if she would not notice. She had eyes, she noticed. She had started to spend more time at a local homeless shelter. It was getting chilly outside and soon it would be very dangerous to sleep outside. They also had small amounts of food that would stop her from starving to death. A painful experience she did not want to relive. Jacklyn had never frozen to death in her sleep either and she would prefer if that did not happen. The only problem was no one was allowed to spend more than a week at a time in the shelter, meaning that Jacklyn would soon have to sleep outside in her measly sleeping bag and blankets every once in a while. 

During these 4 months, Jacklyn sat in the same spot, a street corner by a small grocery store. Most days, a few people would put change in her cup, some would give her a small amount of food, she was really grateful for anything they would give her. While most people she saw once and then never again, there was a kind young man who worked at the grocery store who would stop by most days to offer her food. They never said more than a few words to each other, she was quite shy and very unsure of how to talk to people, but she could tell that he was kind and someone she would love to get to know. The only thing she knew about him was that his name was Steve Rogers, as it said so on his name tag, and he had a deep, attractive voice. He had the most beautiful blue eyes, and light blonde hair. He may have been small but Jacklyn did not care, he treated her like a person and that was something you would never forget.

One day in early December Steve was leaving the grocery store after work, a sandwich in hand. He spotted her in her usual spot, a few meters away from the door and came over.

“Here.” Steve said, handing her the sandwich.

“Thank you.” Jacklyn said with a smile. Normally this is where their conversation would end, however, Steve had decided he wanted to know more about this mystery girl who had been outside his work for months now.

“What’s your name?” Steve asked. Jacklyn paused. Should she tell him, he seemed trustworthy, but she really knew nothing about him. Yet, she could not help but feel safe under his warm gaze.

“Jacklyn.” She said, giving him a soft smile.

“It’s nice to meet you, Jacklyn, I’m Steve, Steve Rogers.” He said bending over slightly and extending his hand. Jacklyn was pretty sure this meant she was supposed to give him her hand to shake. She had seen people on the street do it, it seemed to be some sort of greeting. She reached her hand out tentatively, hoping she was acting correctly. Their hands clasped, his hands were smooth and soft, hers callused and rough. Jacklyn thought, even though it was a small touch, it was still enjoyable.

The handshake made Jacklyn realize that she had not received a friendly touch since she was with her parents. The thought of her parents made her cringe, pulling her hand back like she had been stung. There was a slight bit of concern in Steve’s eyes, but he did not push her on it. 

“It’s getting cold,” Steve said. “Do you have anywhere to stay? It isn’t safe out here in the winter.” His eyes looked worried, like he cared about what happened to her. Jacklyn thought that was strange as she had only really just met him now. 

“There’s a shelter down the road.” She said, offering up as little information as possible. Why did Steve care anyways? He did not know what she actually looked like. She bet that if he saw her as she actually was, he would run away in fear and never turn back. 

“That’s good.” Steve said with a smile. “If you ever need anything let me know, I hate to think of you all alone on the streets in winter.” 

“Thanks.” Jacklyn said, unsure of what to make of his offer. As badly as she wanted to trust him, she was not sure if she could, he could be a Hydra agent for all she knew.

“Alright, I’ll see you later.” Steve said with a wave as he walked off.

“Bye.” Jacklyn said, a confused look on her face, what an odd encounter.

Jacklyn would think about that interaction for the days and weeks that followed. She would smile at Steve every time that she saw him, and Steve would give a wave. Every once in a while he would bring her some food, they did not have any more conversations, but Jacklyn appreciated their small hellos all the same.

When it started to snow in late December, and Jacklyn had spent Christmas alone once more, her time in the shelter was up, she had to spend a few nights elsewhere. Having nowhere else to go, she decided to go back to her favourite street corner. However this time she would sleep under the entryway canopy of the grocery store to shelter herself from the snow. She made sure to sleep with her cloaking device under her head so no one would take it off of her, and her body scrunched up in a ball to conserve heat in the freezing cold temperatures. She burrowed under her blankets trying to feel warm. Slowly, exhaustion came, it was late and Jacklyn was oh so tired. She felt a calm wash over her, and she quietly fell into a frozen sleep, filled with strange dreams of a familiar deep voice calling her name.

***

Steve could not believe that Bucky had dragged him out to another dance hall and convinced him that this time it would actually be fun. Yet there he was, sitting in a corner, drinking a beer, and wishing he were somewhere else. It was not entirely Bucky’s fault, maybe if Steve tried to dance he would have fun, but he knew that his awkward movements and lack of rhythm would most likely scare everyone else off the dance floor. Bucky, seeing Steve’s moping attitude, left the girls he was dancing with in favour of cheering his friend up.

“Come on Stevie, you should let loose, dance a little!” Bucky said exaggeratedly, having had a few drinks himself. 

“I’m not really feeling it tonight, Buck, I think I’m gonna head home.” Steve said. “You stay here, I’ll see you at the house.” He said, standing up to leave. 

“Wait,” Bucky said, grabbing his coat off the chair opposite Steve. “It’s freezing out, you shouldn’t be walking home alone in this weather.”

Steve sighed, “You don’t gotta take care of me, Buck, I can handle myself.” 

“But I enjoy you’re company! What would I do if you froze out there, you ain’t gonna leave me all on my own are you?” Bucky said with a cheeky smile on his face.

Steve shook his head and let out a small laugh. “Whatever you want, Bucky.”

The two friends started their walk home. They joked, throwing snow balls and horsing around, until they walked by the grocery store where Steve worked. On the awning Steve spotted a bundle of blankets, seeming to form the vague shape of a sleeping person. Steve wondered for a minute who it could be until he recognized the beat up backpack sitting among the blankets. It was Jacklyn, the woman he had befriended earlier that month. He did not know much about her, when he had asked about her she gave him very little information, he did not even know her last name. Yet, in this freezing weather, he felt compelled to check on her and make sure she was okay. 

“I know her.” Steve said, pointing to the bundle of blankets. 

“Stevie if I didn’t know any better I’d say you need glasses if you think that bunch of cloth is a woman!” Bucky said, snorting at his own joke.

“Buck, I’m serious, she has been on this corner a lot, I’ve talked to her a few times. I’m gonna go and check to make sure she is okay.” Steve said, walking towards Jacklyn’s sleeping form. Bucky reached out quickly and grabbed Steve’s arm, stopping him in his tracks.

“Steve, are you nuts! You can’t just go around helping every bum you ever talked to, let’s go.” Bucky hissed. Steve yanked his arm out of Bucky’s grasp.

“It’ll only take a second.” Steve said and continued to walk over, Bucky close behind him. As he walked over, the mound of blankets did not stir, oblivious to his arrival. 

“Jacklyn?” He called softly. No response. Maybe she was just sleeping and Steve was about to interrupt a perfectly good night’s rest, yet he just could not risk it. When he got to her, he could see strands of her dark blonde hair, poking out of the small sleeping back she was huddled in. 

“Jacklyn.” Steve said again, this time gently shaking her. Again, no response. He moved the blankets away from her face, her lips were tinged blue and her skin an icy pale colour. 

“Jacklyn!” Steve said, urgently this time, shaking her harder. Still, there was no response. Steve’s heart was beating in his throat, was she dead? He put his hand in front of her mouth, hoping, praying to feel her breathing. He waited, feeling nothing at first, then, when he had almost given up hope, he felt a small amount of air pass through her lips. 

“Thank god.” Steve breathed. He turned to Bucky. “We have to bring her back, she won’t last much longer out here, come look.” 

“Steve – “ Bucky trailed off in his argument against bringing Jacklyn back to their apartment when he saw her ashen face. He looked at Jacklyn in dismay, he could not leave her out here to die. He felt sober quite quickly.

He grabbed the sleeping stranger in his arms and started walking as fast as he could on the slippery sidewalk. 

“Grab her backpack.” He said to Steve, who was doing his best to keep in stride with Bucky.

It was only a few minutes before they got back to their apartment, running up the stairs and unlocking the door. Steve bolted in to the washroom, running a warm bath. Bucky took Jacklyn out of her sleeping bag and placed her gently in the tub, they were waiting for it to fill up, there may not have been much water but at least it was warm. 

They took of most of Jacklyn’s heavy clothes, leaving her in tight stockings and a thin undershirt. They noticed the shiny bracelet on her wrist, they tried to take it off as it seemed to be valuable, and would most likely not do well under water. However, they could not figure out how to take it off, and decided to leave it on as warming her up was more of a priority. 

Her ribs were frightfully apparent when her shirt clung to her chest. She looked sickly as she lay in the water, her pale skin and blue lips giving her the appearance of a corpse. Steve and Bucky sat there, occasionally adding more warm water, waiting for Jacklyn to wake up. She slowly started to regain colour and began breathing normally. It took around and hour and a half before she started to show any signs of life. Bucky had gone to start a fire in the living room, leaving Steve to watch over Jacklyn on his own. Steve had started to dose off, the exhaustion finally hitting him, when all of a sudden he heard a quiet voice call out.

“Steve?”


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The first thing that Jacklyn felt when she woke up was a weird wetness all around her. It felt like she had gone to sleep in a warm, very deep puddle. Her body felt heavy, her wet hair stuck to her shoulders and neck. It was uncomfortable, but Jacklyn did not have the energy to move. She felt disoriented, unsure of how she got to be in this warm puddle. The last thing she remembered was going to sleep on the front steps of the grocery store. What had happened between then and now that put her in her current predicament. Her heart started to race, where was she? Had Hydra taken her? She prayed that it was anything but that, she could not bear the thought of going back to being Hydra’s test subject. With a surge of energy from her anxious thoughts, Jacklyn was able to open her eyes and blink blearily at her surroundings.

When Jacklyn’s blurry vision cleared, the first thing she saw was a drawing on the wall opposite her. It resembled one of the piers in the Brooklyn area, somewhere she had visited a few times, trying to sneak a few packages of food or blankets. It was a beautiful drawing, but it did not give her any clues as to where she was. Behind the painting was a light turquoise wall, and a small window with an equally as small white curtain in front of it. 

She blinked heavily a few more times. She looked down at herself, she was in her tights and thin shirt, she was relived to find that she still had her clothes on, a curtesy Hydra would not have allowed her. She was also happy to see that her disguising bracelet was still on, her cover was not blown. 

Jacklyn then took notice that she was in a bath tub, which would make sense as to why she had felt as though she was in a warm puddle. A bath tub, however, was much nicer than a puddle. She had not been in a bath tub in a very long time. The last time she was in a bath tub her mother had washed her as they sang funny little songs to pass the time. Instinctively she looked over to where her mother would have sat, a smile on her face, and a song on her lips. Instead she saw a young man, his eyes closed, yet his face hard, his forehead wrinkled in concern. She took in his light blonde hair, the strong shape of his jaw, and his full lips when she realized, she knew this man. It was Steve Rogers, from the grocery store. 

Seeing Steve made her feel inexplicably safe. From their small interactions these past few months, Jacklyn could tell he was a good man. There were not many people who would give food to a homeless person more than once.

A million questions raced through her mind. Was this Steve’s house? Had he taken her here? Where was her stuff? Had she been dying from the cold when he found her? What was he doing out so late at night? Jacklyn wanted to ask him all these questions, but when she tried to ask all of her questions, she found she did not have the energy to do it. Instead all that came out of her was one word, or rather, a name.

“Steve?” Jacklyn croaked, frustrated that she was taking so long to recover. She took this as a sign she had not truly died. If she had died her recovery would have been quick and easy, recovering at normal speeds was not something she was used to. 

Steve’s eyes shot open and his head spun quickly towards her. Their eyes met and Steve seemed to relax a little, the concerned crease on his forehead lessening.

“Jacklyn! I’m glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?” He asked quickly, leaning on the side of the bath tub, eagerly awaiting her response. Jacklyn let out a small groan. Her body felt like a rock.

“Wh’re ‘m I?” She slurred. She screwed her eyes shut and then opened them again, she felt very confused and her mind felt hazy.

“This is my house.” Steve answered. “I – uh, you were on the steps to the grocery store and it was so cold out so I went to check on you but you were barely breathing and…” Steve rushed out, feeling bad when he saw the confused and almost scared look on her face. “I’m sorry.” 

“Thank you, don’t have t’ apologize.” She said, doing her best to smile. It looked more like a wince than anything, but Steve seemed to understand. Steve opened his mouth to continue talking when the bathroom door opened and in walked another man. He was tall and handsome, his dark brown hair perfectly styled, and his face clean shaven. He was much larger than Steve, but carried the same kind look in his eyes, however, Jacklyn was still unsure of what to make of him. She was never one to readily trust strangers. 

The man looked down at her, then at Steve, who smiled.

“This is Bucky.” Steve said. “He helped me get you here.” 

Bucky waved awkwardly. She did not blame him, it must be weird to have a strange girl in his bath tub. Jacklyn gave him a nod.

“Thank you.” She said.

“Don’t mention it.” Bucky said, a small smile appearing on his lips. Jacklyn lifted up her arm, tired of sitting helplessly in the tub. Water rushed off her soaked arm. Her fingers were wrinkled, she guessed she must have been in the tub for quite some time. At the sight of her soaked arm, Bucky spoke up.

“I’ve got the fire ready, might be a good idea to heat up there.” 

Jacklyn nodded, gripping the edge of the tub, pulling with all of her might to haul herself up. Steve helped by grabbing her arm and helping pull her up. She managed to shakily get to her feet, her arms wrapped tightly around her torso, shivering when the cold apartment air hit her wet skin. She felt suddenly very exposed, being in nothing but thin clothes that stuck to her ribs, you could see almost every inch of her. Bucky averted his eyes as Steve brought her a towel. 

“I’ll go get some dry clothes.” Bucky said as Jacklyn stepped out of the bath, gripping on to Steve’s shoulder for balance. As Jacklyn took her last step out of the bath, she stumbled slightly, falling towards Steve’s outstretched arm. He already had a good grip on her right arm, so when she stumbled he was able to stabilize her by grabbing her left arm. She held on to his arms from underneath, both people grasping on to one another. She looked up, shocked at the fall, but grateful for the warm touch. They stared at each other for a moment, neither one sure what to say. Jacklyn loved the beautiful blue of Steve’s eyes, she felt like she could get lost in them for hours. Steve loved Jacklyn’s delicate features and her small, shy smile, like she never really knew what to make of any situation. Sadly, the moment ended when Bucky came back and Steve quickly let go of her arms. Jacklyn looked away from Steve, a blush creeping up on to her cheeks.

“Here, these are Steve’s, they should fit you.” Bucky said. Jacklyn grabbed the clothes from Bucky’s hands.

“Thank you.” She said shyly. 

“Come out when you’re done getting changed. The fire will help keep you warm.” Steve said with a kind smile. The two boys left, leaving Jacklyn all alone in the washroom. She looked to the window on her left. It was big enough for her to fit through. If she put on the clothes and jumped out the window, she would not have to talk to these boys, who were pretty much strangers. Yet, she was not sure she would survive out there for very long. It was only going to get colder and she had nowhere to go. Nor did she know where any of her stuff was. With a heavy sigh, Jacklyn put on the clothes. She was a little bit taller than Steve, but the clothes were warm and comfortable. She took a deep breath in, smelling Steve’s clothes, which smelled of pine and fresh laundry detergent. She caught herself, trying to stop the warm feeling spreading through her chest. She could not let herself get attached to this man. The feelings must just be because Steve was the first one to show her genuine kindness. Yes that was most certainly it. She definitely did not have feelings for him, she hardly knew him. And yet, there was just something about him that made her feel safe, a feeling that she was not used to, and unwilling to let go of. 

Jacklyn stepped out of the washroom. She quietly padded over to where the boys were sitting by a small fireplace. She could feel the warmth emanating from the fire, it felt cozy, it felt like home. She had not realized how quietly she was walking, when she appeared beside the boys they both jumped, not having realized she had left the washroom.

“How did you do that?” Bucky asked incredulously. “I didn’t even hear the door open.” Jacklyn shrugged, offering no further explanation. She was not sure what to say, that an awful group of German scientists had taken her and trained her to be a lethal spy? Probably not something that they would believe or want to hear. 

The only items of furniture in the living area were a large, comfy looking chair, and a small, old couch. Bucky was seated in the chair, his eyes were drooping and he stifled a yawn. Steve was seated on the small couch, when he had seen her he had scooted over to make room for her to sit. She sat down on the couch, as close to the edge as possible, but wishing she was a little closer. The fire was warm in front of her, heating her up to the core. She felt warmer than she had been in a very long time. 

The three sat there in silence, none sure what to say, and too tired to think of anything worthwhile. While Jacklyn expected the silence to be awkward, she was too tired to find it anything less than comforting. She was so used to the hustle and bustle of the streets and the wind blowing through her sheets that she realized, this was perfect. She never wanted to leave from her spot, though she knew she could not stay here, she decided to let herself enjoy it for a night. Her eyelids started to droop, and she quickly fell asleep.

***

Jacklyn awoke with a start. She sat straight up from where she had been laying, momentarily forgetting where she was. A blanket fell off if her when she sat up, causing her to look down, she was momentarily puzzled, these were not her clothes, nor was that her blanket. She blinked, rubbing her eyes, the events of last night coming back to her. 

“Oh no.” She whispered quietly. What had she gotten herself into. There was a stirring from behind her and a sleepy yawn. She turned around to see Steve, having moved himself to the chair, starting to wake up. 

“Mornin’.” He said sleepily. Jacklyn gave him a shy smile, something she had been doing a lot recently. 

“Morning.” She said back. “Where’s your friend, Bucky?” She asked, looking around, he must have gone to bed, giving Steve the chair, but looking around, she spotted two rooms, both of which she could see beds in. Both beds were empty. 

“He’s gone to work, he works down at the docks, they normally start pretty early.” Steve explained. “Friday is my day off, so I’ll be here all day.”

“Oh.” Jacklyn said. Unsure of what to make of her current situation. Bucky, the man she did not know, was going to be gone all day, leaving her with Steve, a man she barely knew. While she liked Steve so far and wished that she could trust him, she was still a little wary. Maybe he was just a good actor.

Steve got up from where he was sitting, stretching as he walked towards the kitchen. “What do you want for breakfast?” He asked. Jacklyn’s stomach growled loudly at the mention of food. Jacklyn blushed, embarrassed at her body’s betrayal. 

“I couldn’t take your food, you’ve already done so much.” Jacklyn said. She did not want to overstep her welcome. They had already saved her from freezing to death outside, she did not want to eat all their food as well.

“I insist. You’re gonna need it to recover. How about toast and eggs?” Steve asked, already putting two pieces of toast in the toaster and cracking eggs into a pan. Jacklyn realized that she was going to eat, whether she liked it or not. Steve had a very stubborn streak to his personality and was not going to let her leave until her stomach stopped growling.

Jacklyn got up and made her way in to the kitchen. She sat down at the small kitchen table. She would have offered to help but she knew nothing about cooking. It was not like Hydra ever took a break from torture to teach her the ins and outs of a kitchen. Steve put the radio on while he cooked, it was nice to have a noise to fill the quiet. Jacklyn wished she knew what to say, but what can you say to someone who saved your life, let you sleep in their home all night, and cooked you breakfast in the morning? 

Steve placed the eggs and toast on the table in front of her. “I hope it’s good, I’m not much of a cook.” He said. Jacklyn thanked him for the breakfast and said “I’m sure you’re a much better cook than me.”

The two ate in silence. When they were finished Jacklyn took the plates to the sink to wash up, something she did actually know how to do. 

“Let me help.” Steve said, getting up from the table. He dried the dishes and put them away. There were a few times that their elbows touched or their legs brushed one another. Jacklyn blushed each time and hoped that Steve would not notice. 

After breakfast Steve showed her that they had brought her coat and backpack. Jacklyn was relieved, she had a few cans of food in there along with a toothbrush and tooth paste. She knew most people on the streets did not care about dental hygiene, but she enjoyed not having to regrow teeth, she had learned early on that that was quite uncomfortable. Steve told her she could take a shower if she wanted. She had hesitated, she felt bad for taking up all this kind man’s resources, but she knew if she passed up a shower she would regret it later on down the road.

After her shower Steve was waiting for her in the living room, holding a small sketchpad and drawing. Jacklyn walked up just in time for him to quickly stash his sketchpad away. Jacklyn wished she could have seen what he had been drawing. 

“Thank you for everything… Saving my life and all that.” Jacklyn said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. Steve smiled.

“Anytime. I’m just glad you’re alright.” There was a small pause, Jacklyn trying to word her next sentence properly.

“I had better get going then. I’ll see you around.” She said picking up her back pack and putting on her coat. Steve looked surprised.

“Where are you gonna go?” He asked. “I thought you said there was a shelter. Why were you not there last night?” 

Jacklyn let out a shaky breath. She didn’t want Steve to pity her, she was not someone that he should be getting involved with, for his safety and hers. She kept her distance from people for a reason. 

“They only let you stay there for a week at a time, my week was up.” She explained.

“That doesn’t seem right.” Steve said, eyes clouding in a sort of righteous anger. “They just kicked you out, knowing how cold it was gonna be?” 

“Yah.” Jacklyn said, not sure how else to respond. It was quiet for a moment, Jacklyn not sure if she should take this as her chance to leave. She started walking towards the door when Steve broke the silence. 

“Where will you go now?” Steve asked. Jacklyn shrugged. She would have to find another good spot to sit, somewhere where Steve would not find her. He obviously did not know what kind of dangers she brought with her, she feared what Hydra would do to him if they found out that he knew her whereabouts. Nor did he know what she really looked like. She doubted he would have helped her if he had known. Who would want to be around a freak like her? 

Jacklyn decided to just reach for the handle and open the door, she did not know what to say, or what Steve wanted to hear. Why did he care so much about her?

“Wait!” Steve said. Jacklyn turned to look at him, wondering what else he might have to say. “Stay here.” He said, a sheepish look on his face.

“Here? As in your house?” She asked incredulously. Why would this near stranger be offering her a spot in his house. He really had no idea what she could do.

“Yah.” Steve said. “Just until you get back on your feet.” He added quickly. “It’s only going to get colder, no one can survive in that weather.” 

“I don’t have any money.” Jacklyn said. She mentally kicked herself, no doubt Steve already knew that. 

“That’s ok, Bucky and I can help you out until you get a job and then you can save up enough for a place of your own.” Steve said, clearly having already thought through the basics of this offer. “The grocery store I work at has an open position, I can talk to my boss and get you a job there.”

Jacklyn considered this. She had never had a job before, she was not even sure how having a job would work. How would she get paid if she did not even technically exist. 

“Why?” Jacklyn asked. “Why are you offering this to me? You don’t even know me.” It was Steve’s turn to shrug.

“Call it a hunch. You seem like the kind of person who only needs a little help to get them going in the right direction. You don’t have to accept the offer, I just thought it may be a temporary solution to the cold.” Steve said, rambling on. He had clearly put himself on the line and was currently feeling very small under Jacklyn’s critical gaze. 

It was silent in the house for only a few minutes, but those minutes felt like hours. Jacklyn mulled it all over in her head. If she could keep a low enough profile, not talk to anyone but Steve and Bucky, maybe that would be enough to keep Hydra off her tail. Then she could live a semi comfortable life, not having to scrounge for food and beg for change. While it may be dangerous, it was the only viable option she had to not struggle horribly through the winter. 

“Deal.” She said, closing the door. Steve smiled and Jacklyn smiled back, a warm feeling spreading through her chest. Oh God, what had she gotten herself in to.


End file.
